Salvation
by Fleas-Will-Bite
Summary: What if Enjolras and Grantaire survived the barricade and became a couple? What if several years later they found a young runaway with an awful facial deformity? How would their lives change? Please R&R! Rated T for homoerotic content.
1. Chapter 1

**Enjoy! All Disclaimers Applied!**

Enjolras and Grantaire were trotting down the road discussing the ceremony that they were returning from when a sudden rustling in the bushes caught Enjolras' attention. HE motioned to Grantaire to stop and he listened for more noise. When there was none, he began to continue down the path, but there was another sudden rustle and a strange sniffling sound, as if someone were holding in a very powerful sneeze. Without looking at him, Enjolras said, "Porthos, go check it out." After explaining to Grantaire why he was being told to check something out, he sluggishly dismantled his horse and moved towards the bushes that Enjolras had pointed out. When he was a few feet away, a small child darted out from behind the bush and in the opposite direction. When Grantaire didn't immediately follow, Enjolras told him to run after him.

Grantaire's long legs enabled him to catch up with the child quickly. Ehen Grantaire grabbed hold of the child's arm, the child quickly changed course and wrapped his arms around Grantaire's waist, blocking his face from Grantaire's view. The sudden change of course caught Grantaire off guard and he stood there awkwardly until Enjolras' voice carried from the road. "Porthos? Are you out there? Did you catch him?" After a moment, Grantaire responded, "Yes, but he's holding on to me! What do I do?" Enjolras told him to bring the child back to the road. Grantaire looked down at the child uncertainly, then dragged him back to the road with very little resistance.

When Grantaire cam into Enjolras' view with the child still clinging to his waist, Enjolras' face conveyed the confusion he felt. After a long pause of Enjolras and Grantaire looking at each other and the child, who was still clinging to Grantaire, Enjolras looked down at the young boy and, in a gentle voice, asked, "Can you look at me? It's okay, we won't hurt you." The boy quickly and steadily shook his head. "I don't want to show my face to you, monsieur. It would not be beneficial to any of us." Enjolras and Grantaire looked at each other in stunned silence. The boy had spoken. His voice was clear and beautiful; it sounded like it had come from a young adult, mature, neither old nor young. It was the voice of a young man who had seen to many harsh things, yet, his voice was like music, flowing.

His voice, although muffled, had a strange calming effect on Enjolras and Grantaire, which only fed their curiosity. Grantaire tried to pry the child from his self, but the boy only tightened his hold. Enjolras, still using a gentle voice, asked, "What is your name? Can you tell me your name?" The boy huffed and replied, "My name is Erik, messieurs." Enjolras looked up at Grantaire with a smile on his face to find Grantaire looking gently at Enjolras. Enjolras looked down at Erik again, "Why won't you look at us, Erik?" Erik shrugged his shoulders. "I am a monster, monsieur." Enjolras and Grantaire looked at each other, confused. Grantaire opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it and shut his mouth. Enjolras sighed, then said, "I promise you're not a monster. And I promise that we won't think that you're a monster after seeing you. Now, turn around, look at me, and let's talk like men. Okay? Can you do that?" Erik sighed, then nodded. He turned toward Enjolras and quickly said, "My mask has ripped and I am unable to repair it." Erik stood hunched as if he were expecting to be beaten for showing them his face. Erik had sunken, mismatched eyes and grossly malformed lips. There was a gaping hole where his nose should have been. True to his word, Enjolras did not even flinch. "Erik," Enjolras said, "I am Olivier and my companion is Porthos." Then he looked at Grantaire and said, "Porthos, help me down please. I wish to speak with Erik at eye level."

Grantaire moved to Enjolras' side and started to grab the cane when Enjolras shook his head and said, "Just help me down, Porthos." Grantaire grabbed Enjolras' hand and held under his other shoulder as Enjolras pulled his leg over the horse. Grantaire lifted him slightly and helped Enjolras ease to the ground in front of Erik. When Enjolras was firmly settled in front of Erik, he held out his arms to show that he was different too. He said, "You are not a monster, Erik. Why are you out here by yourself?" Erik looked at Enjolras for a minute before answering him. "I ran away, Monsieur Olivier. My mother and her fiancé were planning to put me in an institution. They did not want me because of my face." Enjolras quickly looked up at Grantaire, who was shaking his head. But Enjolras ignored Grantaire and looked at Erik. "Erik, why don't you come home with Porthos and I? It would certainly be better than trying to find a safe place to sleep in the woods." Erik looked at Enjolras and Grantaire for a minute before nodding his head in assent. Enjolras smiled and held out his hand. Erik took it reluctantly, but Enjolras gripped his hand firmly and shook it with a smile on his face.

Enjolras started to stand and Grantaire quickly helped him to his feet and back onto the horse. When Enjolras was situated comfortably, he looked down at Erik and said, "Why don't you ride with me." Erik looked skeptically at the horse. "I have never ridden a horse, monsieur." Enjolras heard Grantaire heave a sigh. Enjolras smiled. "How old are you, Erik?" Enjolras asked him. "Five." This surprised Enjolras and Grantaire; they had thought he was older. Enjolras smiled again. "Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" He was referring to his lack of experience on horses. " Porthos, help him up, will you." Grantaire nodded and lifted the boy onto the horse in front of Enjolras. "Now, Erik, I'm going to hold on to you to make sure you don't fall. If you feel that you need to hold onto something, you can grab her mane. Her name is Lucille." Erik nodded tersely and grabbed her mane with both hands.

Grantaire mounted his own horse, Jean, and Enjolras asked Erik if he was ready. At Erik's tense nod, Enjolras started a slow trot and gradually sped until they were almost in a full gallop. Grantaire followed close behind.

After several hours of riding, they had found Erik mid-morning, Erik slowly drifted to sleep and they slowed to a light trop. Grantaire came to ride at Enjolras' side and they sat in comfortable silence for a while. Enjolras looked at Grantaire and said, "You have been uncharacteristically quiet. What's wrong? And don't argue with me about bringing him home with us." Grantaire smiled and chuckled. "I'm afraid," Grantaire said, " That I am not good with children. I hardly ever interacted with them, you know why, and the few times that I have, I was deemed unfit. The only exception that I've ever had was with Gavroche, and look how that turned out. He was my responsibility if he was anyone's, and I failed in protecting him. I also hate to admit that Erik's face scares me." Grantaire looked at Enjolras with sad eyes.

"We all let that happen, Porthos. By the time we knew, it was too late. Besides, he died for what he believed in; they all did." Here he paused and they both took a moment to remember their old friends. "Porthos, this child's face shocked me to the core. It is not the face of a normal human being. But he is only a child, most likely completely innocent in the cause of the deformity, and obviously very mistreated by the woman who called herself his mother. This is a five years old boy who talks with the knowledge of a man three times his age. And, judging by his voice alone, he is naturally very gifted in music; you can just hear the potential. We have been given the chance to save a little boy, Porthos, from a completely awful life that would probably end entirely too soon. Help me save this child, Porthos, like we couldn't save our friends and our country."

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**All disclaimers applied (even though I wouldn't mind having some)... Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2 **

When they were coming to the edge of Paris, Enjolras shook Erik to wake him up. When he opened his eyes to the sight of the great city, Erik's eyes widened in astonishment. "Where are we?" he asked in barely hidden wonder. Grantaire answered him. "The wonderful city of Paris." Enjolras rolled his eyes at the heavy sarcasm. Erik leaned forward and wiggled in , wearing a huge smile, said, "Paris? We get to travel through Paris?" Enjolras and Grantaire laughed at his excitement. Grantaire, still chuckling, said, "No, we're not traveling through Paris. We live in Paris." Enjolras thought that if Erik got any more excited, he would pass out. Enjolras moved his hand to his shoulder and said, "Yes, Erik, we live in Paris, but if you wiggle any more, you're going to put Lucille in a fright. And we don't want that, trust me." Enjolras chuckled as Erik quickly stilled and gripped Lucille's neck tighter.

After a few minutes of quiet riding, Erik looked up and said, "I don't want anyone to see my face." A look of dread had taken over the already gruesome features of Erik's face. Grantaire puckered his lips and scrunched his eyebrows in thought. Enjolras huffed for a moment, then his face brightened slightly for he had had an idea. He stopped his horse and jostled back in the saddle. "Erik, I have an idea. I want you to turn around so that you're facing me in the saddle. You can then pretend to be sleeping and rest your head on my shoulder, therefor hiding your face from passerby." Grantaire made a noise of disapproval and began to protest before Enjolras interrupted him and said, "Hush, Porthos, I'm stiff, not broken." Grantaire shook his head but didn't say anything. Erik said slowly, "Okay," and started humming to himself very lowly, Enjolras could barely hear him, and began to fidget around the horse. Enjolras grabbed his shoulder and helped Erik turn around on the horse. Erik stilled facing Enjolras and suddenly looked unsure and scared. Enjolras opened his arms and motioned Erik closer. Enjolras sighed sadly and gently grabbed Erik's arms and placed them around his own shoulders. He then continued to pull Erik's head to his neck until Erik was firmly, stiffly, rested there. Enjolras' face shriveled and his eyes watered. He had realized that Erik did not remember being held gently, if he ever was held in such a way.

He brought one hand to wrap around Erik's frail body. Grantaire reared his horse so that his knee was brushing Enjolras' and he leaned over and gently brushed his lips against Enjolras', showing him that he understand and that he was there for him. Enjolras felt something cold and wet on his neck and he realized that Erik had started to cry silently. Enjolras brought his other arm around Erik and embraced him tightly, trying to give him all of the love of the childhood that he hadn't yet had with this single hug. Grantaire put his hand on Erik's shoulder to tell him that he was there too. They sat like this until Erik had cried himself to sleep, ever so silent, in Enjolras' and Grantaire's embraces. Grantaire took his hand kerchief out and dabbed and cleaned Enjolras' face until there was no trace of the episode left except his red eyes.

**Awfully sorry about the long wait and then the short chapter. Christmas break has proven to be an awful time to start a story. Oh well. I will try to update on every Saturday with the possibility of surprise updates during the week. Hope you're enjoying this incredibly fluffy story and don't forget to comment/review! I would so care to hear opinions.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I want to say ****_THANK YOU!_********to Ras and friend! The review made my day!**

**All disclaimers applied, of course.**

Night had fallen and they made their way through the outskirts of Paris. They moved through the streets of Paris, deeper and deeper into the great city. They greeted the street urchins who knew and recognized them as they passed, but didn't comment when questioned about the child in Enjolras' arms. They came to a stop in front of a nondescript building. Grantaire hopped down from his horse and tied him to the post as Enjolras gently woke Erik. When Grantaire had Jean securely tied to the post, he came over and helped Erik down. Erik walked closer to Jean and peered at him as Grantaire helped Enjolras down from his own horse. Enjolras then limped over to Erik as Grantaire settled Lucille next to Jean. Enjolras said to Erik, "We own the second floor and the attic room."

They started up the stairs and Erik silently took in the torn and dirtied wallpaper, the cracked wood in the stairs and banister, and the dust gathering in the corners. They got to the door of their rooms and paused to find the keys. Enjolras opened the door - he was the only one who had mastered the jiggling and tugging of the door - and walked through the small doorway. It was a modest room with a bed in one corner next to a dresser, a cluttered desk, an eating area and kitchen, and a small couch parallel to the bed. Papers were strewn everywhere and canvases and paint littered the walls and floors. Erik looked at the paintings as Enjolras and Grantaire unpacked the few things that they had brought with them on their small journey. There were some paintings of what appeared to be Enjolras wearing brazen red and fierce determination in his features. There were others that looked as if they were painted in controlled anger with harsh colors and brutal themes painted in long strokes. There also seemed to be an abundance of nature paintings. There were paintings of trees, valleys, fields, flowers, and one that seemed to be smudges of random color on close inspection but, upon stepping back, was actually a great field of flowers and illegible faces.

Grantaire can up behind Erik and said, "I'm a painter. Olivier is a lawyer." Erik thought for a moment, then asked, "What is a lawyer, monsieur?" Grantaire paused, unsure of how to explain a lawyer to a five-year-old. Enjolras chuckled at Grantaire's pause and piped in. "A lawyer represents people when they're having problems with the law. A lawyer is either trying to get someone in trouble or out of trouble. Lawyers can also deal with wills and the such." Erik nodded his head in understanding. Enjolras put his hand on Erik's shoulder and said, "Let's go see about turning the attic room into your room. Don't worry, it already has furniture." Grantaire reached up and pulled down the ladder and said, "We'll just keep the ladder down." They each climbed up the steps and went into the small room. There was a small bed, a desk, and a small dresser. It was a good size for a child. Erik took it in and said, "Thank you. For everything." He then went to the bed and laid down. Enjolras and Grantaire left him to his mind and returned to the main room. Enjolras pointedly looked at Grantaire and said, "He will need clothes."

**Again, sorry for the short chapter. I get back in school this week, so that means longer chapters! (I know, backwards, but I write more at school than anywhere else.) Don't forget to review and tell me what you think! I love reading them!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Argh! Late! Sorry! All the usual disclaimers that we all wish weren't true are applied! Enjoy!**

Enjolras woke early the next morning as was the usual habit. He glanced up to the attic and heard no signs of Erik being awake. He changed out of his nightclothes and dug in the cupboards for his usual breakfast. Finding the desired bread and cheese, Enjolras cut enough of both to feed all three parties. He sat himself on the couch and ate his meal. Grantaire was still sprawled on their bed, now taking up the space that Enjolras had emptied. Grantaire's old nightshirt was loose and untied, and his cheeks were covered in a scruff that had grown over the past day.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Enjolras knew that the shops would be opening soon. He grabbed a small pillow that was resting next to him on the couch and threw it at Grantaire. The sleeping man grunted when the pillow hit his head and ricocheted to the wall behind him. He rolled over, grabbed the pillow, and gently tossed it back towards Enjolras. It missed him entirely and Enjolras laughed at Grantaire's half-hearted attempt. Grantaire groggily rolled off the bed and shuffled to the couch, grumbling. He plopped belly-down on the couch. Since the couch was not large and Grantaire was not a short man, he ended up with his legs bent at the knees and his head resting on Enjolras' lap. Enjolras broke off a piece of the bread and cheese from Grantaire's plate and waved it in front of Grantaire's nose and mouth. Grantaire hummed and opened his mouth. Enjolras plopped the food into his mouth and laughed as Grantaire rolled over so that he was facing the ceiling and opened his mouth for more. Grantaire was wide awake by the third bite and they sat in peaceful quiet in the dawn of morning.

When the sun was firmly settled in the sky and the city had continued it's usual activity, Enjolras finally broke the silence. "Would you go buy the boy some clothes? I would go myself, but, alas, the riding has me hurting." Grantaire awkwardly rolled himself off of the couch and changed into his day clothes. While Grantaire was cleaning the crème from his face from shaving, Enjolras grabbed his coin purse and tossed it at Grantaire, who caught it without outright watching. "Just a couple of shirts, pants, and a pair of shoes will do, Porthos. Do you think that you're right on his sizes?" Grantaire shook his head and said, "As good as I can be without actually measuring." Grantaire and Enjolras smiled at each other. "You've always been good at getting sizes just by looking," Enjolras admitted. Grantaire wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and they laughed. Enjolras pushed him out of the door and sat back down on the couch to look out of the window.

Erik came down the ladder a few minutes later. "Are you hungry, Erik?" Enjolras asked. Erik paused and said, "Yes, monsieur." Enjolras gestured toward the other end of the room and said, "There is bread and cheese put out for you." Erik quickly headed towards the counter saying, "Thank you." Erik grabbed the small plate of food and headed back towards his temporary room with his head down. "Join me on the couch, Erik," Enjolras said, patting the seat beside him. Erik looked at Enjolras for a beat, then asked, "Really?" Erik looked surprised by the simple request. "Yes, really." Enjolras was only slightly surprised by Erik's behavior since he had already concluded that Erik's mother had not acted like a proper mother. Erik wearily walked to the couch and stiffly sat down. They sat in silence, Enjolras watching the city outside and Erik quietly eating his small breakfast.

When Erik was finished eating, he stood with his plate and moved to the kitchenette. "Just put it in the sink with the other dishes." Erik did as was asked and returned to the couch with Enjolras. Erik sat for a moment before asking, "Where is monsieur Porthos?" Enjolras glanced at Erik and said, "He has gone out for a while. He'll be back in the evening." Erik seemed satisfied with this answer and continued to look around the room. Enjolras watched Erik for a moment, then asked, "What is your last name?" Erik thought for a minute, then said, "I don't know, monsieur, Maman never told me and there was no one else to tell me except for Mamselle Marie and she never told me." Enjolras pondered that, all the while thinking about how everyone referred to him by his last name and very few knew what his first name was. Deciding to get their thoughts away from Erik's mistreatment, Enjolras decided to learn more about Erik himself. "What do you like, Erik?" Erik's face lit up when he thought about the things that he liked, No one ever asked what he like. "I like architecture and magic, but I love music! Father Mansart taught me how to play the piano and sometimes I would sneak out at night and play the organ at the church. Maman wouldn't let Father Mansart teach me music or architecture anymore, though. She said that I was possessed by the devil. Am I possessed by the devil, monsieur Olivier?" Enjolras was startled by this and quickly reassured Erik that he was not possessed by the devil. Erik and Enjolras continued in this way far into the day.

After stepping out of their building, Grantaire walked over to the horses and untied Lucille. Grantaire continued to connect her to Jean, making sure that she would not be able to walk off. Grantaire sat himself on Jean and started the small journey to the local stables. Since the stables was only a short distance away, Grantaire quickly arrived at his first destination. "Bonjour, monsieur Grantaire! How was messieurs' trip?" Grantaire hopped off of Jean and handed the reigns to the stable boy. "Bonjour, Charles. The trip was just as intolerable as expected. Poor boy married a witch!" Charles and Grantaire shared a hearty laugh as Grantaire dug in the purse for the money to pay the fee. Grantaire paid Charles while Charles asked, "Where is monsieur Enjolras today? It's not often that we see you out and about without him at your side." Grantaire smiled and sneered, "He stayed home. I'm afraid that the long ride was not one that left him in comfort. But the damn fool refused to ride on anything else." Charles chuckled. "I can believe that. I apologize that I couldn't supply something to alleviate his pain during the ride." Grantaire waved him off and they said their goodbyes.

Grantaire joined the crowd of Paris without being noticed. He was not a particular noticeable man anymore. After the barricades fell, he had promised to clean himself up. Enjolras was there for him every step of the way. With his help, Grantaire stopped drinking and started painting again. The lack of alcohol improved his appearance and he looked considerable healthier. Joly would have been proud.

He made his way through the streets of Paris until he got to the seamstress' store that he was looking for. The store was well known and had good business from the bourgeois. What was unknown by the bourgeois was that the store was also well known by the poor. The owner, Pierre, was well known for his absolute secrecy and confidentiality of his customers of lesser status. Pierre was the man who supplied the coats and flags for all of the barricades. Enjolras and Grantaire were very dear customers and friends to Pierre, and Pierre was the only man they purchased textile materials from.

When he walked in, the bell on the door sounded and Pierre himself came walking out of the backroom with a fake smile plastered on his face. When Pierre saw that it was Grantaire, his fake smile became a large, genuine one. "Ah, Grantaire! What can I do for you today?" Pierre walked up to Grantaire and they embraced in greeting. Grantaire grinned at him and said, "I have an unusual one today." Pierre gave a mischievous grin and said, "It's been a long while since I've gotten that from you, Grantaire. What is it?" "I need child's clothes." Pierre's eyebrows furrowed. "Child's clothes? For a niece or nephew, I presume? Grantaire, that's not that unusual." Grantaire leaned in confidentially. "That's the thing, Pierre. We have no idea who this child is. We found him in the woods on the trip back, and Enjolras insisted on helping him. He is not a normal child, though. Pierre, this child scares me." Pierre placed his hand on Grantaire's shoulder and they started walking to the backroom. "Tell me everything."

**Sorry for any mistakes in anything! I don't take French and I don't mess with horses. I really hope you enjoyed and I would love to hear from you on anything! It makes my week!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! New chapter! Yay! Usual disclaimers, of course. Enjoy!**

Grantaire arrived home in time to see Erik and Enjolras destroying the kitchen. Thankfully, Enjolras had thought to remove Grantaire's things from the kitchen area before they had started. Grantaire took note of everything that they had out, and realized with amusement that they would have to go to the food market the next day. Enjolras looked over his shoulder at Grantaire and smiled. "What on earth are you doing? Please don't say cooking," Grantaire teased. Enjolras laughed and said, "I'm afraid that that's exactly what we're doing. We're cooking supper. Quite an adventure, I must say." Grantaire groaned, added his packages to the stacks on the desk, and went to investigate their "adventure." They had a pot of broth boiling, and they were in the process of adding a variety of vegetables and some meat that must have come from one of the neighbors. "What is it?" Grantaire asked warily. "Gumbo. An American woman that attended the wedding was telling those of us who didn't partake in the night's more strenuous activities about it. It's similar to bouillabaisse in a way. It sounded delicious, so, with the help of Erik, I decided to try to make it." Grantaire snorted. "Yes, you and your lady friends. Before long, you'll be sewing dresses with Pierre!" Enjolras threw a peel at Grantaire, and Erik was tickled by their loving banter.

Grantaire cleaned they mess as they finished cooking the meal. They spooned the food into bowls and went to sit on the well-used couch. Grantaire sat in the middle, and they all looked at the food in their hands. Grantaire said, "Here it goes," and they all brought their spoons to their mouths. Erik exclaimed, "This is yummy!" They laughed and Enjolras said, "I agree." Grantaire shrugged his shoulders and said, "I've had worse." Enjolras bumped their shoulders and Grantaire laughed. They finished their supper, all the while Grantaire and Enjolras were teasing and Erik steadily became more comfortable. When they had finished and cleaned the dishes, Enjolras declared that he was going to bring some gumbo to Madame, for he had, in fact, borrowed food from her. While Erik used the restroom, Grantaire and Enjolras prepared a couple of bowls that would last a couple of days, and Enjolras said to Grantaire, "When I'm bringing these to Madame, I think that you should give Erik his clothes. Talk to him." Enjolras looked at Grantaire seriously. "Do try, Porthos." Grantaire nodded his head in compliance.

After closing the door behind Enjolras, Grantaire went to the desk and grabbed the packages. Holding them, he turned to Erik. "I got you these. I believe that you may need them," Grantaire said quietly, holding out the packages towards Erik. Erik hesitantly grabbed the packages, expecting Grantaire to say that he lied and take them back. Erik opened the packages and saw clothes, more clothes than he had ever owned at once. "Four shirts, two pairs of pants, one coat, one pair of shoes, and a nightshirt," Grantaire listed each as Erik pulled them out. Erik looked up at Grantaire with tears in his eyes from gratitude. Grantaire tried not to flinch as Erik screwed his face. "Thank you, monsieur." Erik carefully set the clothes back into the package and stood. Grantaire watched as Erik climbed to his room and he heard Erik open and close various things.

Erik's head appeared above him. "Monsieur, may I watch you paint?" Grantaire was taken off guard by this question, but he nodded his head. He needed to finish the garden painting for one of his female clients anyway. Grantaire brought the canvas and easel to the middle of the room and placed it so that Erik could sit on the couch and still se him paint. He then grabbed a chair and put his paints and brushes on it. He also set down a small cup of water to rinse the paint off of his brushes. Grantaire put paint on his small palette and readied his brush. Erik watched as Grantaire began to paint. Enjolras walked in a couple of minutes later. He grabbed a book and sat down next to Erik. They spent the evening like that, Grantaire painting, Enjolras reading, and Erik watching intently as color became life.

Erik awoke only slightly after Enjolras the next morning. They shared a quiet breakfast until Grantaire woke and grumbled through the house. Enjolras threw one of Grantaire's brushes at him when he laid on the bed again. Enjolras put his coat on and told Erik, "I have to work in my office today. I'm expecting a client. You'll stay here with Porthos and do whatever it is you will end up doing." Erik nodded and Enjolras moved to Grantaire and they shared a small goodbye kiss. He then said farewell to Erik and went out the door. Erik went back to his room and pulled out a shirt and a pair of pants. He ignored the shoes and chose to go barefoot. Then he went back downstairs, Grantaire had set up his paints again and was working on the same painting as the night before. Erik went up to Grantaire and asked, "Can I have a piece and paper and a pencil, monsieur?" Grantaire didn't hesitate. "Yes, yes, of course. There are blank sheets of paper in the top drawer on the right and pencils are in the middle drawer." Erik walked to the desk and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. He then went and laid himself on the floor a little behind and to the left of Grantaire so that he could draw and still watch Grantaire paint. They stayed like this for hours, working through the morning.

When it was close to lunch time, Grantaire put down his brush and said, "I think we should go share lunch with Olivier, then go to the food market." Erik looked up and asked, "What about my face?" Grantaire stopped and thought. He then walked to a small coat stand on the right of the door and grabbed a large hat and scarf. Grantaire told Erik to get his coat and put it on. He did so and Grantaire put the hat on Erik's head and wrapped the large scarf around his neck and slightly around his face. The clothes were successful in concealing the majority of Erik's face. "It is rather cold outside, and since you are a child, extra bundling would not be deemed strange," Grantaire explained. Erik nodded and Grantaire put his own coat and scarf on. They left the building and walked through the crowded streets. As Grantaire had said, no one noticed a small child that had extra clothes to protect him from the cold. Grantaire brought them to a café and they ordered small pastry meals. They then continued their journey towards Enjolras' office, which required a small backtrack. All the while, Erik gazed in wonder at the sights before him.

They arrived at Enjolras' small office and walked in. Enjolras' secretary greeted them, giving a curious glance at Erik before choosing to ignore him. He was, after all, coming in with Grantaire. Grantaire gave the extra meal that they had bought to her and continued into the office. Enjolras looked up when they came in and smiled. "I have decided to come eat with you. You have been graced with the presence of both Erik and I. Please don't humble yourself by kneeling," Grantaire said dramatically. Erik giggled. They sat and ate lunch, and Erik gladly occupied himself by looking at the law books. When they were finished, Enjolras said that he needed to return to his work and they bid farewell.

Grantaire and Erik returned to the streets of Paris, and Grantaire led them to the market a few blocks away. They went from stand to stand, buying things that they needed. Erik questioned everything he didn't recognize, and Grantaire obediently answered all of his questions to the best of his abilities. Several women gave knowing looks and smiled. They returned to their apartment and continued with their individual pieces of art. The day passed and Enjolras returned home. After a small supper of gumbo, Grantaire and Erik returned once more to their projects and Enjolras continued his book. The sun slowly went down and the day turned to night.

Erik announced slightly after sundown, "I have finished." Grantaire said, "I have, also. It will be dry and ready to go by tomorrow evening." Enjolras responded to both, "Good timing, Porthos. As always. What have you been working on, Erik? I'm curious." Erik brought the drawing to Enjolras. Enjolras grabbed it gently and looked at it. He froze and his jaw dropped. Grantaire, who had been cleaning his mess, looked over and saw this reaction. Grantaire walked over and looked at it, too. He gently took it out of Enjolras' hands, and, gazing at it in surprise, sat down in silence. Grantaire looked at Erik and asked, "This is what you've been drawing today?" Erik nodded slowly, and nervously asked, "Do I have to stop drawing now? Maman never let me draw." Enjolras looked at Erik and said, "We will never stop you from drawing. This is beautiful."

**Hope you liked it! Please tell me how it was! I always like to know...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! Okay, sorry for not updating! You can slap me with a stone! Anyway, I would like to thank NadirofConflict for becoming my beta buddy! Enjoy! All disclaimers apply.**

Erik lied awake that night, unable to sleep, to busy thinking of Olivier and Porthos. He contemplated on how they were good people, and they deserved to be surrounded by good people, though Erik didn't believe himself a good person. He knew he was a monster, possessed by the Devil. Unnatural. They were surprised by his picture, and surprise always ends in brutality. He wouldn't let it get to that, and he had to leave.

Coming to this decision, Erik sat up and looked around the small room. He stepped down and crept to his dresser and slowly opened the drawers, pausing when they creaked. He gathered his clothes in a pile and went searching for a bag. He found one after a few tense minutes of searching, and he placed his clothes inside. He moved to the stairs and looked down seeing Olivier and Porthos peacefully sleeping in their bed. Erik crept down the stairs with his bag and quickly grabbed the hat and scarf that was used to mask his face. He looked around the room one last time and silently went out of the door.

* * *

Enjolras awoke at the same time as usual, following the routine and sat down to eat. He ate and waited for either Grantaire or Erik to wake. Enjolras sat in peaceful silence until Grantaire woke. They sat and quietly talked as Grantaire ate his breakfast; they discussed their clients, laughing at different peculiarities. Once finished, they dressed and waited for Grantaire's client to arrive to pick up the painting that he had finished the night before. They bustled about, quietly cleaning when Enjolras turned to Grantaire after putting away some paint and said, "Erik is sleeping late, isn't he?"

Grantaire shrugged and said, "Yes, but he hasn't been sleeping much since he got here, and who knows how he slept before we found him." Enjolras nodded, accepting this explanation.

A knock sounded at the door and Enjolras, who was closer, opened the door to show in a young woman. She quickly smiled, giving a greeting curtsy, and said, "Bonjour! I'm here to see Monsieur Grantaire. Is he in?" Enjolras motioned her in, greeting her with niceties. Grantaire quickly met her, and they finished the business portion of their transaction. Enjorlas offered her a seat, which she declined, before seating himself on the couch to observe Grantaire doing something that he enjoyed. Grantaire moved to the painting, and the young woman looked around the room in silent distaste before Grantaire focused her attention to the painting. When she caught sight of it, her face lit up and she smiled. "Oh, lovely!" she exclaimed. Grantaire, with a blush, thanked her and wrapped the painting. She kept gushing over it as Grantaire escorted her to her carriage, and he heard her start to tell her husband all about it.

When Grantaire arrived back in their room, Enjolras was there laughing at him as he walked in. Grantaire walked over to him and wrapped his arms around Enjolras' waist. "What?" he asked.

Enjolras put his hands on Grantaire's cheeks and said, "You're still blushing."

Grantaire leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Enjolras', the kiss slowly grew in intensity. When Grantaire's mouth moved to Enjolras' neck, Enjolras suddenly remembered the sleeping child in the room above them. "Porthos," Enjorlas said. Grantaire ignored him. "Porthos," Enjolras insisted, "there is no way Erik is still sleeping." Grantaire groaned, but pulled away. Enjolras fixed his rumpled appearance and left Grantaire, who was in a considerably more noticeable predicament, to climb the stairs to check on Erik. Upon arriving in the small room, Enjolras noticed that the bed was empty and unmade, several drawers were askew, and Erik was missing. Enjolras quickly went back downstairs and said, "Erik is missing."

Grantaire quickly looked up. "What?" he asked. He was sure that he had misheard Enjolras.

"He's gone."

* * *

Erik walked through the shadows in the streets, unnoticed by the people around him. He explored the city of Paris, looking upon the landscapes and high buildings, not missing a detail. He spent the day like this, exploring a world unknown to him. Though, when the sun began to get low in the sky, Erik noticed the hunger in his stomach. Luckily, he happened to be around several shops that served food. There was a group of women getting ready to walk into a bakery, and Erik fell in step behind them. When they walked into the warm shop, Erik quietly walked from behind the women and went under a table in the corner. The corner was dark in the receding daylight, so Erik was positive that he could remain unseen. He waited until the women a short while after the women had left, and the baker was beginning to close up for the night.

The baker had several pieces of bread that he was packing away to bring home. "Stop!" he yelled. He was using the trick he had been learning from the book his mother's friend had given him, throwing his voice so that it would come from the bag of bread. The baker looked around, searching for the voice, but looked back at the plain bag, astonished. He called out a tentative hello. Erik responded, "Set me down." The baker looked at the bag in his hand with surprise and fear. "Set me down and go home," Erik said.

"Merde..." the man said before throwing down the bag and hurriedly closing the shop.

Erik waited until the baker was out of sight and ran to the bag. He pulled out a loaf, ripping it in half, and took bite after bite. He tied the bag into a knot and crept back out into the streets to find a place to sleep.

**Review! Tell me what you think! Go ahead, I dare you.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! Okay, so, sorry, kind of a filler chapter... **

Enjolras and Grantaire continued searching for Erik for days, then weeks. After the thrird week, Grantaire stopped and told Enjolras that it was hopeless. Enjolras ignored him. He would always look. Anytime they were out, Enjolras would look for him, hoping to see him somewhere on the streets. But after a month, Grantaire decided that it was time to confront Enjolras.

Grantaire sat next to Enjolras, who was reading on the couch, and gently pulled the book from his hands. At the man's slight protest, Grantaire firmly said, "Olivier." Enjolras sighed and laid his head on Grantaire's shoulder, willing to listen to what he had to say. "You have to stop looking. He's gone, and you're doing nothing but putting stress on both of us. It's not good for your health, and you're suffering because of it." Grantaire implored, placing his hand gently on the side of Enjolras' neck. "I know you want to help him," Grantaire continued, "but you can't help him if he doesn't want to be helped. He ran from us, Enjolras; and he was only in our care for a couple of days. Why are you so fixed on him?" Grantaire put his other hand on Enjolras' cheek and rested his forehead against his.

"You know very well why, Porthos," Enjolras whispered. "I-It's just…he will live with the memories of all the horrible experiences he's had for rest of his life. Something like that doesn't just go away with time. He will remember what his mother thought of him. And what others will think of him because he will have that face forever. He will always be treated badly. There are not a lot of people like us in this world, you know that," Enjolras said, as he sat back and continued, "There is a little boy in the streets right now who was in our care. In our care, Porthos, and now he is out there, maybe dead. I will always look for him because I know what he is living through, and I know that it screws you up. Porthos, I want to take care of him until I can't anymore. I have the ability to give a child a better life. And I will give it to him if I ever find him, whether you will or not. But I hope to God that you will stay there with me," Enjolras' voice cracked.

Grantaire drew Enjolras into a tight embrace and said, "I would never leave you. Don't you ever even think that. If you want to give this boy a better life, then we will do it. But, he's not here. And odds are that we will never find him." Enjolras softly kissed Grantaire.

"I know that you'll never leave me. I love you far too much for you to leave," he sighed. "I will look for him because I don't want another child to turn out like me," Enjolras said quietly.

"You mean passionate, strong, loving, amazing?" Grantaire half-heartedly teased.

"Hard, uncaring, fearful, and almost completely disjointed from others," Enjolras responded seriously.

Grantaire sighed. "Alright then," he said, "I won't give up on finding him."

Enjolras gave him one more peck, then said, "We'll find him. I know we will."

**Hope you enjoyed! Let me know!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Getting close to the end! All disclaimers applied**

**6 months later******

"It was those heathens that passed through last month, I'm sure of it." The elderly women whispered conspiratorially to each other, fanning themselves in the heat. "Carrying the Devil's child with them, it's a wonder how we're not all dead!" one huffed.

Enjolras, catching the end of the conversation, leaned towards them and asked curiously, "Did you say 'the Devil's child'?"

The lady leaned forward eagerly, excited for new ears. "Oh, yes, monsieur," she said, "A gypsy caravan passed through just last month. They had a child in their midst who was surely born by Satan himself. He was a small thing, but the evilest sight I've seen in all my years." She fanned herself.

"What did he look like?" Enjolras dreaded the answer.

"Oh, he was absolutely frightful! As if he was raised from the dead! He was the color of a corpse, with large, sunken eyes; a hole where his nose should have been; and disgusting lips. Absolutely dreadful! I had to use my smelling salts," she explained with wide eyes.

"Thank you for sharing with me," Enjolras said distractedly.

Just then, Grantaire appeared beside Enjolras and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, we should start our journey home." Grantaire then looked down and saw the look on Enjolras' face. He bent down and stated, "Something has happened. What's the matter?"

Enjolras looked at him and stuttered, "Oh, I-um, it's nothing. Just my hip's acting up a bit."

Grantaire looked at him skeptically, not believing the words, and Enjolras stared back resolutely before asking, "Did you give your condolences?" Grantaire nodded, so he turned and said, "Let's go then."

They departed in silence, and figured that they could make it to the next town over before nightfall. They rode in silence for a while before Grantaire said, "Okay. We're alone. Now tell me what's wrong." Enjolras sighed and repeated to Grantaire what the old woman had told him.

"I think it's him, Porthos," Enjolras insisted.

Grantaire sighed. He knew what Enjolras was implying. "If it is him, he's in a gypsy caravan, and you know as well as I do that those are practically impossible to track. There's no way for us to find him. You have to accept that he's gone, Olivier. There's nothing we can do."

Enjolras' face turned to stone. It was the face of the man who lead a revolution, had a cause, and didn't let anyone stop him. Grantaire felt hurt, remembering the statuesque manner of Enjolras. "If I wasn't as handicapped as a lamp, I would be able to find him. I will go to every damn caravan that comes anywhere near Paris until I either find him or die. That I promise. Don't try to stop me, Porthos. I love you too much for that," Enjolras said icily.

Grantaire's shoulders sagged. There was a change in Enjolras, and Grantaire didn't know how big it was. Enjolras didn't, either.

If Enjolras had known, he would have given up.

**Short, I know, but it's winding down. Hope you liked it! Leave a comment!**


End file.
